The Challenge Can She Reveal Her True Feelings
by lilytherese
Summary: Can Lily reveal her true feelings to James? Story features the poem from 10 Things I Hate About You which is rewritten slightly to fit the story. Story is written around the poem and also my first fic which is why its not very good


Unless there has been a terrible mistake – I don't own Harry Potter

The poem is taken from (and slightly rewritten to fit this story) from _10 Things I Hate About You_ I was watching the movie the other day and for some reason it just made me think of Lily and James so this whole story is shaped around that poem (which is why the story isn't very good).

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"C'mon on Evans, are you scared you may not be able to win the challenge" taunted James

"I'll have you know Potter, I can win anything I want, but what you should be asking yourself is, are you prepared for what you have to give up if I win?" and with that Lily Evans stalked down the hall.

As Lily made her back to the Gryffindor common room, she smiled to herself, against her better judgement she had fallen in love with James Potter it had developed at the end of their sixth year together and so far she hadn't worked up the courage to tell him yet, she could always think of an excuse, her favourite one being that he didn't really care and that it was all just a joke at her expense, or he would provide one for her, like the time him and his friends pranked all the first year Slytherins, despite the fact that it was funny she couldn't help but be mad at him, it was easier that way.

Now it was different he had issued her with a challenge, he had ordered her to come up with a story, song, or poem that would describe how she felt about him and if he believed that it was negative, that she would never care for him, then he will leave her alone.

Later that night Lily sat in the library and thought about the conversation that she had overheard James and Peter having in the common room

_Peter: "I still don't get it, how is Lily writing some form of prose about hating you going to help you win her heart?"_

_James: "All I want her to do is to analyse how she feels about me and if she really does hate me, hate me enough to put it on a piece of parchment, and has she puts it 'would rather date the giant squid then me' then I'll leave her alone, and if she realises that perhaps there maybe she doesn't completely hate me, then I know I have a real chance and I'll spend every day trying to make her happy"_

The more Lily thought about it the more she realised that yes she liked the idea of James spending everyday making her happy, and she knew she would be happy with him, he had changed so much in the last year. So she pulled a piece of parchment out and wrote the words down as they flowed out of her.

I hate the way you embarrass me,  
And the way you ruffle your hair.  
I hate the way you ride your broom.  
I hate it when you stare.

I hate your big dumb outrageous pranks,  
And the way you read my mind.  
I hate you so much sometimes it makes me sick,  
It can even make me smile.  
I hate the way you're always right.  
I hate it when you lie.

I hate the way you make me laugh,  
Even worse when you make me cry.  
I hate it when your not around,  
And the fact that you stopped asking me out.  
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you,  
Not even close,  
Not even a little bit,  
Not even at all.

The next day Lily could feel the parchment burning a hole in her pocket. She knew she wouldn't stop thinking about it till she gave it to him but she waited till the end of dinner and she approached him she realised that this very moment could change her life.

"James," James stopped and turned at the sound of her voice and his face lit up

"Whatever happened to Potter, Lils?" was his reply

"Whatever happened to Evans, James?" not waiting for a reply she continued, "I believe I owe you a piece of writing _Mr Potter_, and here it is and I must apologise now, I used the word hate eight times." She turned and walked away then not even wanting to be there when he read it, the crushed looked on his face when she had told him that she had used the word hate eight times in a piece writing to describe her feelings about him had been enough to convince her that he really did love her, nobody would be that heart broken over prank.

Lily was half way to the common room when James caught up to her. Taken by surprised she giggled when she realised who had grabbed her arm, but James only had one question for her.

"Is it true?" she nodded at him

"I don't hate you, it took a long time for me to realise this and then even longer time to want to admit to it," she pauses and looks deep into his eyes "I love you".

"You don't know how long I have waited to hear you say that" he smiles at her, "If I had really known the result of my little challenge I would have set this up years ago, Lily May Evans, I love you and will do everything in my power to make you happy."

"Well, there is one thing you can do,"

"Anything, My Lily, name it"

"Stop talking and kiss me." And James was very happy to oblige to that request.


End file.
